Headlight-dimmer



M. CRAWFORD.

HEADLIGHT DIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED MMI` 21. |918.

1 ,3 1 1 ,951 Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. CRAWFORD.

HEADLIGHT DIMMEH.

APPLICATION FILED 11m17.191s.

Patented Aug. 1v 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ulillgumum fa/army UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILO CRAWFORD, OF SPRINGFIELU, MISSOURI.

HEADLIcHT-DIMMER.

Application tiled March 27, 1918.

. Be' it known that l, Mino Cnawroiu), a citizen ot' the United States,residing Yin the city of Springfield, county of Greene, State ofMissoiii'i,:liavev invented new and useful ..Iinprovements inlleadlight-Dimmers, of

which the following is a specification, refer# ence being had totheaccompanying drawings.

,lhis device pertains to headlight dininiers for use upon automobiles,locomotives,

.street-cars, or, in fact, wherever a headlight may be employed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a dimmer of al shutterpattern, wherein tivo oppositel f disposed shutters are adapted to.close together at the front, either partially or fully, over theheaillight, as

may be desired, the degree ot closure being readily controlled by acontrol rod exteiiding back to the hand of the driver.

A further object is the, production of a device of this character in asimple, praetical, ellicient and economic-al form, best adapted t'or theuses and purposes intended.

With these'and other objects in view, ats

tention is called to the accompanying drawings; wherein Figure 1 1s afrontal elevation showlng my dimmer with the shutters closed;

Fig.` 2 is a frontal elevation showing thel dimmer with the shutterspartially opened;

.Fig 3 1s a sectional side elevation; 4F ig. 4 is a plan vleW;

Figs 5, 6 and 7 are details showing the working elements of myA device.-

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 'in v invention residesprimarily `in two oppositelydisposed curved shutters 1 and l', eachshutter being mounted upon its respec-v plates' being curved at theirouterperiphcries `to conform to the curvature in said shutters, andysaidshutters being so positioncdl upon said base plates that their line 'ofcurvature would `extend in a horizontal direction, wherel-iy the:'idjacent edges'l and 3 of said shutters 1 and 1 may be broughtfrontally together -on a straight vertical line, as shown in lig. 1.'lhe base plates 2 and 2' are pivoted upon the common pivot 4 positionedin the center of the bottom 5 ol the casing (i. ,'lhe, base plates 2`and 2' are extended 'each beyond the pivot 4, so as to forni lever armsv7 and 7, and to the. ends ot these lever arn'is 7 and 7 are pivoted'atthe Vspecificaiiim of Letters Patent.

points S and 8 the links 9 and 9', same coiiverging rearwardly wherethey are pivoted to the control rod 10 at the common point 11. Coilsprings 12 and 12 engage at their forward ends the base plates Q and 2',and at their rearward fends the easing their efl'ect being to draw backand normally hold in open position the base plates Q and 2 and theshutters'l and 1 carried thereby. The control rod 10 extendsl back intothe body et the car and is pivoted to the lug 13, which in turn isrigidly joined to the journaled base rod 14. A lever 15 likewise joinedto said base rod 14: and workingin connection with the pawl 16 and:ratchet 17, enables the operator readily to o `ienor close the dimmer.The upper ends ol said shutters 1 and 1 may be fitted to and held by topplates 2 and 2" corresponding tothe base plates 2 and 2', and likewisebeing pivoted together and to the supporting bracket 22-22 at thecominonpoint la This bracket 22H22 is disposed to the rear of theheadlight so as not to interfere with the same. The shutters 1 may bemade entirely of Celluloid or frontal half circles of celluloid 18 and18' maybe employed, and the balance of the shutters filled in with heavycloth 19-19 or any other suitable material. The bracket 2x2-22 ispierced with the hole 20, through which from the rear is introduced theordinary electrical connections for the frontal headlight bulb 21 andfrom which may be -supported the ordinary headlight as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The shutters 1 and 1 aredisposed to either side of said bulb 21' and the headlight so supportedby said bracket, saine closing together in front of said bulb 21, oropening to either side thereof by operation o't' the control lever 10.Additional control levers, as 10 may be provided, one, each for eachheadlight employed. The apparatus may he constructed so that theshutters -1 and 1 will close on a horizontal frontal line, it preferred,instead of `on a vertical line., as shown. Suitable brackets, posts,bolts and screws are, of course, utilized for mounting the apparatus inoperative position. y

While I have herein described and set forth a certain specific mannerand method from thespirt of my invention, so as best to construct apractical device of the class described.

In operation, the headlight and elements` are mounted in properoperative position upon the vehicle. vhen the hand lever l is thrownforwardly, the shutters 1 and L are pulled open by the springsl l2 andl2',

tirely closed, a diused glow or' light willA nevertheless be transmittedthrough the l translucent fronts of said shutters.

I portions of each of the curved shutters, 'I'

What I claim to be new and patentable is :4

. 1. headlight dimmer comprising a pair .of curved shutters locatedopposite each other when open. and movable toward eachA other to aclosed position, said shutters havlng 'senil-cingular frontaltranslucent por-d tlons, a layer of cloth covering the remain'- meansfor pivotin the shutters, and means for opening and c oslng theshutters.

2. A headllght dimmer comprising a pan' of curved shutters locatedopposite each other when open and movable toward each other to a closedposition, a *vertically disposed approximately U-shaped bracket. havingupper and lower arms and a vertical connecting portion adapted to bearranged in rear of and form a support for a headlightand providedadjacent one'of its arms with a guide opening, vertically alined pivotslocated at the upper and lower arms and connecting the shutters to thesaid bracketl and supporting the said 4 Slnvlttersi for pivotalmovement, an operatingl lrod extending. 'through the guide opening ofthe bracket,Y and means for connecting'th'e operating arm with theShutters. for enabling the latter to be actuated simultaneously by thesaid rod.-

- l MILo oRAWFoRD. Witnesses: i

MARTIN, i Mmmn ,STAHL

